SOLOMON ON DAVID'S THRONE
1 Kings 1:1 to 53
DURING the later years of Dá vid's reign he laid up great treasure of gold, and silver, and brass, and iron, for the building of a house to the Lord on Mount Mȯ-rī́ ah. This house was to be called "The Temple," and it was to be made very beautiful, the most beautiful building, and the richest, in all the land. Dā́ vid had greatly desired to build this house while he was the king of Ĭś̝ ra-el, but God said to him:
"You have been a man of war, and have fought many battles, and shed much blood. My house shall be built by a man of peace. When you die, your son Sŏĺ o-mon shall reign, and he shall have peace, and shall build my house.”
So Dā́ vid made ready great store of precious things for the Temple, also stone, and cedar to be used in the building. And Dā́ vid said to Sŏĺ o-mon, his son:
"God has promised that there shall be rest and peace to the land while you are king; and the Lord will be with you, and you shall build a house, where God shall live among his people,”
But Dā́ vid had other sons who were older than Sŏĺ o-mon; and one of these sons, whose name was Ăd-o-nī́ jah, formed a plan to make himself king. Dā́ vid was now very old, and he was no longer able to go out of his palace and to be seen among the people.
Ad-o-nī́ jah gathered his friends; and among them were Jṓ ăb, the general of the army, and Ā̇-bī́a-thär, one of the two high-priests. They met at a place outside the wall, and had a great feast, and were about to crown Ăd-o-nī́ jah as king, when word came to Dā́ vid in the palace. Dā́ vid, though old and feeble, was still wise. He said, "Let us make Sŏĺ o-mon king at once, and thus put an end to the plan of these men.”
So, at Dá vid's command, they brought out the mule on which no one but the king was allowed to ride, and they placed Sŏĺ o-mon upon it, and with the king's guards, and the nobles, and the great men, they brought the young Sŏĺ o-mon down to the valley of Ḡī́ hon, south of the city.
And Zā́ dŏk the priest took from the Tabernacle the horn filled with holy oil that was used for anointing or pouring oil on the head of the priests when they were set apart for their work. He poured oil from this horn on the head of Sŏĺ o-mon, and then the priests blew the trumpets, and all the people cried aloud, "God save King Sŏĺ o-mon.”
All this time Ăd-o-nī́ jah, and Jṓ ăb, and their friends were not far away, almost in the same valley, feasting and making merry, intending to make Ăd-o-nī́ jah king. They heard the sound of trumpets and the shouting of the people. Jṓ ăb said, "What is the cause of all this noise and uproar?”
A moment later Jŏń a-than, the son of Ā̇-bīa-thär, came running in. We read of him as one of the two young men who brought news from Jē̇-rṳ́ sā̇-lĕm to Dā́ vid at the river Jordan. Jŏń a-than said to the men who were feasting:
"Our lord, King Dā́ vid, has made Sŏĺ o-mon king, and he has just been anointed in anon; and all the princes and the heads of the army are with him, and the people are shouting, 'God save King Sŏĺ o-mon!' And Dá vid has sent from his bed a message to Sŏĺ o-mon, saying, `May the Lord make your name greater than my name has been! Blessed be the Lord, who has given me a son to sit this day on my throne!'”
When Ăd-o-nī́ jah and his friends heard this they were filled with fear. Every man went at once to his house, except Ăd-o-nī́ jah. He hastened to the altar of the Lord, and knelt before it, and took hold of the horns that were on its corners in front. This was a holy place and he hoped that there Sŏĺ o-mon might then have mercy on him. And Sŏĺ o-mon said, "If Ăd-o-nī́ jah will do right and be true to me as the king of Ĭś̝ ra-el, no harm shall come to him; but if he does wrong he shall die." Then Ăd-o-nī́ jah came and bowed down before King Sŏĺ o-mon, and promised to obey him, and Sŏĺ o-mon said, "Go to your own house.”
Not long after this Dā́ vid sent for Sŏĺ o-mon; and from his bed he gave his last advice to Sŏĺ o-mon. And soon after that Dā́ vid died, an old man, having reigned in all forty years, seven years over the tribe. of Jū́ dah at Hḗ bron, and thirty-three years over all Ĭś̝ ra-el in Jē̇-rṳ́ sā̇-lĕm. He was buried in great honor on Mount Zī́ ŏn, and his tomb remained standing for many years.